originally published in the Toronto Star on May 11, 2002.

by Eric Lai.

If you have pets around the house, please make sure they are leashed, fenced in, or otherwise secured when outside. It only takes a second for a tragedy to occur.

Inexpensive, poly-coated steel fencing in 4-5’ heights is available from home centre stores, such as The Building Box. The forest green, temporary fencing installs quickly and, if you combine the 5’ posts with the 4’ mesh, you can hammer them an extra one-foot underground for a more secure footing. Posts are under $4 each and 50’ of mesh is $42.

Invisible fencing products ($180) can also help keep pets safe. These consist of an electronic collar, base transmitter, marker flags and 50’ of underground wire. If your pet wanders near the edge, they receive a slight jolt to keep them in your yard. Keep in mind though, that no device is foolproof. Consumer Reports advises that some animals don’t mind the mild zaps and other discover that the shocks end once far enough outside the virtual barrier.

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An open letter to readers:

On May 3, 2002, a familiar face to Toronto Star readers passed away. My beautiful Shih-Tzu dog Wonnie, who often appeared in photos for this column, died instantly after being struck by a car. (My mother named him Wonnie - short for ‘wonderful doggie.’)

My faithful 24-hour a day companion filled our house with joy for over four years. He’d greet each person with a bow every morning, and would do likewise to guests, or to say ‘thank you’ when I told others what a genius he was. When you opened the bathroom door after a shower, you’d find his favourite toy there as his calling card, telling you he’d been by to check on you. He knew every toy by name and communicated so clearly with us that we’d swear he was almost human.

Most of all, he was my best friend and deserved the best. He got the McBurger, I ate the McBun. And at home, it was steak, chicken or pork. He’s the best doggie in the world, but I failed him.

Instead of keeping him safe as I should have, I was distracted by a meaningless chore in the garage as he slipped outside on that horrible day. Minutes later, my heart would break into a million pieces as I found him lifeless at the end of our street with my mother, who’d gone to look for him, weeping uncontrollably at his side.

Ten minutes later, the vet confirmed what we already knew in our hearts - our smallest family member was gone. He didn’t have a second chance, and neither will I. The pain and guilt will be mine forever.

To pet owners, I beg of you, don’t let this happen to you. Keep your four-legged friend on a leash 100 per cent of the time when outside. Even a genius dog is like a toddler, they depend on us to protect them every second of the day. It’s a lesson I learned the hard way.

Wonnie, please forgive me. You’re a good doggie and I’ll love you always.

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Photos by Eric Lai.

FAREWELL: Columnist Eric Lai’s dog Wonnie, a 5-1/2 year old Shih-Tzu, often appeared in photos in The Star. This picture, showing doggie seatbelts, even made the papers in Israel.